Specially adapted, protective goggles are used today by soldiers and law enforcement officers. The use of such protective goggles is particularly advantageous in harsh environments where sunlight, wind, dust and debris can be hazardous to eyesight. Additionally, such protective goggles can be designed to protect the eyes against some level of impact of fragments and projectiles during combat or law enforcement activities. Such eyewear includes Bullet Ant™ goggles or Desert Locust™ goggles available from Revision Military of Montreal, Canada, or Revision Eyewear, Ltd. of Essex Jct., Vt., USA. These goggles are often configured to be strapped over a protective helmet.
Protective goggles are also used in industrial applications, or in sports, such as skiing or snowboarding, worn with or without a helmet.
Goggles are traditionally retained on the user's head by use of a strap with opposite ends that attach to clip portions located on opposite lateral ends of the goggle frame wherein the strap passes behind the user's head. A strap length-adjusting element can be provided along the length. When goggles are worn with a helmet, provisions can be made for the strap to pass over the helmet. The clip portions can be extended outwardly such that the width of the helmet does not cause the strap to pull the goggle frame away from the smaller contour of the user's face.
If goggles with outwardly extended clips are worn without a helmet, the strap does not function effectively with the outwardly extended clip portions and can be uncomfortable to wear in that the strap does not conform to the shape of the user's head.
One solution to the aforementioned problem is proposed by U.S. Pat. No. 6,928,663 or 6,732,383 wherein the clip portions are hinged to the goggle frame to pivot outwardly when the goggles are worn with a helmet or inwardly when worn without a helmet.
Goggles are known which incorporate electrical or signal systems. Goggles having electrical, controllable, variable light color density lenses are known, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,172,256. Goggles having electrical ventilation are known, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,150,443. Goggles having a lens electrical heating element are known, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,942,629 or 4,868,929. Goggles having a signal system for aiming a hand held weapon are known, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,379,140. For these electrical or signal conducting systems, provisions are made to deliver electrical power or signals to the frame through electrical conductors.
The present inventors have recognized that it would be desirable to provide clip portions for goggle frames that allowed the goggle frame to be worn effectively with a helmet or without a helmet. The present inventors have recognized that it would be desirable to provide a goggle frame with clip portions that more effectively accommodated electrical or signal systems.
The present inventors have recognized that it would be desirable to provide an improved goggle assembly including an electrically controllable system.